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The BuzzFlash Mailbag
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Subject: Met a naval officer--
Over the holidays I met a naval officer traveling in Prague. He stayed
at my hotel. He told me that the Marines and Army were hurting for reenlistments,
so the DoD is planning to ask Navy personnel to volunteer to go into
the Marines or Army. If there aren't enough volunteers, the personnel
will be chosen by someone in the chain of command.
He also said shore duty for Navy personnel returned home from 6 month
deployments was being privatized. Those jobs are what has provided Navy
personnel time for a "normal" family life, with at least a
90 day window to attend to weddings, graduations, holidays, and so forth.
With the privatization of those jobs, that 90 day window will be gone
and no personal family planning can take place. The naval officer thought
it would really hurt morale.
He said that the massive unit rotations that will take place every year
now, the next being in March, are a huge undertaking for the Navy since
the equipment is put on aircraft carriers and shipped home.
At any rate, plan on some changes for the Navy. Extra "boots on
the ground" will come from that branch of the DoD before a draft
begins.
I told a military friend that the military occupational specialty between
someone on a ship and someone in the infantry has got to be night and
day. He told me that sailors were no less "prepared" for combat
duty in Iraq than a Reservist who sells air conditioners stateside.
The training was the same--little to none.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: The Majority No Longer Rules in the House...
Hastert's position, which is drawing fire from Democrats and some
outside
groups, is the latest step in a decade-long process of limiting Democrats'
influence and running the House virtually as a one-party institution.
Republicans earlier barred House Democrats from helping to draft
major bills
such as the 2003 Medicare revision and this year's intelligence package.
Hastert (R-Ill.) now says such bills will reach the House floor, after
negotiations with the Senate, only if "the majority of the majority"
supports them.
Not
majority rule, but 'majority of majority' (Phillie Inquirer/Washington
Post)
Whoa! If that isn't enough to get your blood boiling, I don't know
what is. Of course, mine has been on "simmer" for a few years
now anyway. Can they actually get away with that and/or what can we
do about it?
Jan Christoe
Subject: Where is the US headed?
We ask ourselves where this country is headed, and the answer is a
difficult and complex one. A simple explanation is that the Bush regime
is incompetent and has taken the country in the wrong direction. However,
that is obvious because major blunders have been the rule, not the
exception. Huge tax cuts during a no-win war against terrorism and
completely irresponsible fiscal leadership by Republicans are threatening
-- no, assuring --total economic breakdown at an alarming rate. The
question only remains just how soon and how severe.
Now, the Bush plan to privatize Social Security will add another trillion
dollars to the national debt. Wall Street will be the big winner at
first, and the poor, sick, disabled, unemployed, low-paid workers
and elderly will be the main losers. If a prolonged depression like
the 1930s occurs everyone will be a loser.
The dollar is losing value so fast now against foreign currency that
our unfavorable balance of trade will become much worse.
Let's face it -- this administration has failed the country terribly.
Bush and the Republican majority in Congress should have all been
fired in the election instead of gaining more power. No one, not John
Kerry, or any candidate, could have done a worse job of running the
country.
What happened? Well, I believe the main problem is the political ignorance
and lack of ability of citizens to choose the best candidates. It
appears too many rednecks in those red states were taken in by the
rotten propaganda which Republicans are expert at, having no agenda
for most Americans, and too many were influenced by fundamentalist
religious leaders who are part of the Republican Party and preached
their hypocritical hatred against gays and abortion. It doesn't matter
to them damage being done is causing the decline of this country,
as long as they attain their goals.
They disregard or ignore the opinions of the majority of experts in
higher education, the military, financial, legal, business and government.
Even responsible Republicans were denouncing the administration's
terrible policies. Then, there are those who go with the candidate
whose looks they like, or their manner, or if they can tell a joke.
Too many politicians have been elected for the wrong reasons. The
previous five Republican presidents were either guilty of impeachable
crimes, pardoning their predecessor, or both. Bush is the worst of
them all. You would think when Kerry convincingly won all three debates
people would go with a winner instead of someone who says over and
over that being president "is hard work." Well, maybe it
is for someone who isn't capable, never ever did a real day's work,
and doesn't know what "real work" is. He says our soldiers
dying in Iraq are doing "hard work." It's too bad he never
ever did any of that kind of "hard work" either.
The American people will wake up fast -- when it is too late -- when
their children are so deep in debt that they have nothing and have
to work for practically nothing. The good jobs are leaving the country
faster than lower paying jobs can replace them. Millions more will
sink into poverty and lose health care. Maybe it is time for Americans
to take to the streets like in Ukraine.
RB
Subject: Meet the Press
Dear Buzzy,
After watching Meet
the Press, I just had to share some thoughts with your readers.
The 9/11 Commission's co-chair, Governor Kean, made comments to Tim
Russert that disturbed me and revealed a mindset so common in armchair
do-gooders, or less politely put "chickenhawks," in the
so-called war on terror. I remind readers Kean was among the supporters
of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. First off, he reminded viewers that
three times the number of people who died on 9/11 had been lost thus
far in Iraq. He so worded that comment that it made it seem as if
Iraqis, who I believe are also people, hadn't suffered much more because
of Bush's decision to invade and occupy Iraq. This is often the last
morsel supporters of Bush's ill-conceived invasion chew on and reiterate
when confronted with opposition to fighting such spurious wars. I
supported taking out jihadi camps in Afghanistan but based on reason
and reading widely, I opposed the Iraqi neocon-planned adventure and
never bought the deceptions and efforts at conflation and abuse of
the goodwill, if not vengeance, of post 9/11 America.
Secondly, when asked, Kean said naming names about those in government
who did not properly do their jobs prior to 9/11 would not be appropriate.
I disagree. With John Bolton about to be promoted and Condi Rice and
Stephen Hadley about to assume key positions in our national security
apparatus, knowing of willful incompetence and deception would serve
the American public better than ignoring the fact that poor decisions
were undertaken by key people in several presidential administrations.
Regarding the present administration, this is of course vital.
Sincerely,
Thom Burns
Exeter
Subject: Florida Statistical Oddity
I have compared the shifts in Florida registration and vote between
2000 and 2004 and noticed something I have not seen mentioned in any
media reports about the election.
Of the 15 Florida counties that increased in Democratic registration,
12 lost vote share compared with 2000 and the remaining three gained
gained less in votes than they did in registration. The only counties
where Democrats increased vote share better than registration share
was in counties where Republicans gained in registration.
Perhaps this is a minor point, but it seems illogical that Democrats
did better in counties where they lost registration than in counties
where they gained registration.
The chart is posted at this URL: http://liberty.hypermart.net/voices/...
If you...click on...Florida
registration and voting trends between 2000 and 2004 you will
be able to see the chart I've constructed. This is a very partisan
web site but please ignore the rhetoric and look at the chart.
If you find this noteworthy, please pass on to a statistician and
let me know
Robert Millman
Glenville, NY
Dear BuzzFlash,
I want to say thank you for all the hard work you do keeping us
informed. Whether it's chasing down a story to link to, the
wonderful interviews & editorials, the op-eds (Maureen Farrell
is a personal favorite of mine) or whatever, I'm always learning
while on the BuzzFlash page.
To underscore what BuzzFlash provides, I'd like to point out that
Thanksgiving morning as I'm getting the turkey ready and rushing
around, the TV's on in the next room and I can hear it. Supposedly
a news show. A lot of joking, a lot of laughing. A lot
of happy talk. Not any real news.
By contrast, when I've finally got a break from the kitchen, I
rush to the computer, hit home page (I've made BuzzFlash my home
page) and there's news, real news. What do you know, despite
the TV bunnies prattle, real news is going on in our country, in
our world.
I'm very thankful for BuzzFlash. Thanksgiving day had many
items that stood out, but as a NPR listener I want to say a special
thank you to BuzzFlash for linking to the item about Hagan being
on Morning Edition to criticize John Kerry but no one explaining
that Hagan is married to a woman who works for Dick Cheney.
That was a conflict of interest.
And at the table, when talk on what are we doing in Iraq, or what
is Bush up to now lagged, I brought this item up.
I had no idea that so many in my family were as frustrated with
the media as I was: great aunt, grandparents, nephew, sisters
and a brother. We had a serious discussion full of jeers,
jokes and I like to think insight. That's the kind of thing
that can happen when you read BuzzFlash.
Thank you,
Nat
Subject: New York Times: finally SORT OF opening up the e-vote
debate...
Well here we go then, tucked away in the "business" section
of the Times...
Electronic
Voting 1.0, and No Time to Upgrade (NY Times)
And here's good old Steven Levy at Newsweek: (*a day later but certainly
NOT a dollar short...) Levy is oh so careful not to name names here...(bloody
coward... but hey, we all know who he's talking about, eh?)
Four
More Years to Finally Get It Right (msnbc/Newsweek, Dec.
6 issue)
Seems to me like he's talking specifically about Diebold e-voting
machine's owner Wally O'Dell and his brother who own most of OHIO
& FLORIDA'S e-voting machines, and Omaha-based ES&S, whose
"Republican roots may be even stronger than Diebold's."
Diebold's owner "Wally" O'Dell is a well-known member
of Bush's "base" of elite "Pioneers and Rangers,"
fundraisers who all pledged to raise more than $100,000 each to
stock his presidential re-election campaign coffers.
O'Dell in fact ALSO pledged his commitment "to helping Ohio
deliver its electoral votes to the President."
Diebold's
Political Machine (Mother Jones)
Levy's also talking about Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell,
"DA MAN" in charge of not ONLY his State's election process
but also co-chaired the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio... (*but let's
not draw any hasty conclusions now...)
Re-read this prescient article from OVER A YEAR ago:
Ohio
GOP Secretary of State Wants to Put "Fox In Charge of the Hen House"
(DNC)
Steven Levy recently writes in Newsweek:
Why is it that the companies that make the machines are run by
executives who favor one party over another? For that matter, why
is it that the so-called referees of the process are often partisan
politicians themselves? When tackling the problems of provisional
ballots, supplying precincts with sufficient voting machines and
handling recounts, wouldn't it make sense to have neutral parties
in charge?
Well, yes, Steven, that sounds reasonable and fair, but NAHHH...
They'll just continue to do things the old-fashioned Republican
way. If it ain't broke...
Diebold,
Electronic Voting and the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (Common
Dreams, 2/25/04)
Consider the results of the Ohio vote, the Florida vote, (*and many
other "lesser" states where the Republican owned e-machinery
tallies the votes) and anyone with an 80+ IQ can connect the dots.
Duhhhh.... But nope, up until the other day, we were all screaming
left-wing conspiracy theory nuts & members of the tin-foil hat
club...
Hallelujah! (trans: PRAISE THE LORD!) There's now a dim light at
the end of the tunnel if the New York Times and Newsweek are beginning
to gently muse that well, something MIGHT be slightly amiss about
these elections... (*God forbid they actually have the cojones to
commit to supporting a challenge of the results, like MSNBC's Keith
Olbermann or the Reverend Jesse Jackson...!!)
And if a couple of the "major media" people are finally
softly hinting, you just KNOW there was a much bigger & stronger
story which was "edited out" because those weenie's weenie
bosses are too frightened to print the truth for fear of their Republican
shareholder's or CEO's or White House retribution.
"Nope, you can't print that son. Look what happened to Rather."
( Dang-it, I'll miss his Dan-isms come election night 2008...)
MP in Vancouver
Subject: Just another point of view folks...
Regarding the Ukraine's recent election and worldwide coverage of
boisterous rallies demanding a "recount"... Truth be told,
that whole kafuffle became a teensy bit suspect when first Colin
Powell and then George Bush hopped on the bandwagon, if you know
what I mean?
Something began looking kinky in Kiev... and voila! Along comes
this refreshingly different point of view...
The
revolution televised: The western media's view of Ukraine's election
is hopelessly biased (The Guardian)
MP in Vancouver
Thought you might be interested in this. It IS legit. We thought
it might be a way to get the attention of the High-And-Mighty DNC,
after conventional means failed...
Some creative and hardworking Kerry volunteers are dismayed that
Kerry has just about vanished, and the Democratic National Committee
(the DNC) has been really quiet about all the voting and counting
problems with this election... Incredible machine problems have
emerged (one in Ohio recorded negative 21,000,000 votes!) Lots
of voting place hassles, misinformation, appalling waits, etc,
have also been documented. So, because they can't get the Democrats
to respond to them (one has gotten 2 funding appeals since Nov.
2, though...) these Minnesotans are suggesting that people who
want the Democrats to come out aggressively as the Party for Clean
Elections and Voter Enfranchisement send back their Kerry t-shirts,
buttons, etc to the DNC. They aren't conspiracy theorists; they've
just all been using computers (and cars, washing machines, etc)
too long to believe that ANY machine is 100 per cent INFALLIBLE.
And they want to assure CLEAN ELECTIONS and ACCURATE COUNTS in
the future. They've put up their suggestions and a creative form
to send to the DNC at
http://
loyalopp.tripod.com/fairvote.html
PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG QUICKLY. LET'S SWAMP THE DNC! FIRST THINGS
FIRST. Without Election Integrity guaranteed, our democracy is
DEAD.
Thanks, BuzzFlash Folk, for the terrific work you do! Peace,
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: 2004 Election
Hello,
Here is what some Patriots in Port Townsend, Washington did on
their holiday yesterday, instead of shopping. We came up with this
idea less than 2 weeks ago and spread the word all over the country
and now we hear that Tea Parties are happening in over 9 states,
including in Times Square, Berkeley, Columbus. We also have a professionally
produced 1 minute, 5 minute and longer version on video of the event
that can be shown on the air.
Let's spread the word and make a BIG SPLASH!! If the Ukrainians
can do it so can we.
Port Townsend's Black Box TEA Party
Patriots Protest "Smoothing" Over the 2004 National Election
Debacle (votersunite.org)
Thank you,
Candice
Subject: Thank you for posting the article on the Irish Language
Dear BuzzFlash,
I read BuzzFlash almost every day, and have bought a premium from
you (but it has been a while -- money's tight during these dark
Bushonomics days). Thank you for keeping us informed of the news
that most Americans don't get from their TVs. I include a link to
BuzzFlash on my blog, EatAtJoesPlace.blogspot.com, and I have pointed
readers to many
articles you have listed in BuzzFlash.com.
I want to especially thank you for the link to the article on
the Irish language that you posted today (Native Irish Language
Makes a Comeback 11/29). I've been studying Irish at the Irish American
Heritage Center in Chicago for almost six years, and it was great
to see an article on Irish posted on BuzzFlash! Keep up the good
work.
Warming
up to language Irish once found uncool (Chicago Tribune)
Is mise leat (Sincerely),
Joe Murphy
Chicago Area
Subject: Getting Ready for a Draft
Whatever the current story is on Draft Bills (HR 163 & S 89
or some variation thereof) with the Chickenhawks in control, and
despite claims a draft is not necessary, the nightmare in Iraq,
combined with the Bush administration's designs on Iran & N.
Korea, strongly suggest that one is imminent. Further, unlike during
the Viet Nam era, Canada (due to new agreements) is not the escape
option it once was for those who refused to participate.
While the public may not be prepared for it, I think activists &
antiwar support groups should be closely examining these issues
and be ready with options as attempts are made to reinstitute a
draft. With D.C. in the clutches of the Republicans, things could
move swiftly in the coming year. In fact, it could be a matter of
months at the most.
There is little relevant information on the 'do's & don'ts'
or even campaigning against conscription on the net currently available
that I am aware of.
There are three established organizations that I am familiar with...
The Center on Conscience & War:
http://www.nisbco.org/
Formerly the National Inter-religious Service Board for Conscientious
Objectors. This organization keeps atop the latest information on
the issue & offers draft counselor training. See their ³CO
affirmation."
The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors:
http://www.objector.org/
CCCO supports & promotes individual & collective resistance
to war.
And, specifically for those already in the military, Conscientious
Objector at:
http://www.geocities.com/conscientious_objectors/
A web page created by a U.S. soldier who calls military service
"...Not Just a Job! It's a Crime Against Humanity!"
As far as explaining Pacifism, this link seems pretty informative
(though I'm sure there are others) that I found at the University
of Tennessee:
http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/pacifism.htm/
As a legal point of reference, there is, of course, the government's
Selective Service site:
http://www.sss.gov/sssyou/sssyou.htm
Further interpretation on objector status by the Selective Service:
http://www.sss.gov/FSconsobj.htm
and your (current) options according to the Selective Service at:
http://www.sss.gov/FSaltsvc.htm
In addition, sites supporting our troops in Iraq and the predicament
they find themselves in include:
Operation Truth: http://optruth.com/main.cfm
Soldiers for the Truth: http://www.sftt.org/
Military Families Speak Out: http://www.mfso.org/
and Iraq Veterans Against the War: http://ivaw.net/
And as far as any visible campaigns I've found offering antiwar
bumper stickers and the like, an apparent tongue-in-cheek outfit
on the web: http://devillikeproductions.com/ seems to address the
threat of a draft, and pacifism in general, with a series of 'Army
of None' items offering slogans ranging from 'Don't Enlist' &
'Send the Bush Twins' to the more strongly worded 'They Profit &
We Die?', 'Support Our Troops When They Arrest Bush' and, even reminiscent
of the sixties, 'Don't Be a Baby killer.' They're the only ones
I've found already prepared for the next planned invasion with 'Iran
Next? Hell No!'
Although there are numerous protest groups around, I don't know
how many of them are up to speed presently as far as a draft looming
in our future nor even what to do about it.
Of course, I don't think any of these links (or any further ones
we come across in the near future) will matter much to the general
public at present with the holidays upon us, et cetera. Nevertheless,
I think, those of us with our ears to the ground, sense what's coming
and should be prepared when the rest of America wakes up and wants
to know what options our young people have.
Allan Stagg
Subject: Liberally on the Money . . .
BuzzFlash,
I had to send this because this it is exactly what I think Democrats
who want to get their Party back need to do. We do not have any
representation and Bush is getting all of the representation in
Congress that we as Democrats, Progressives, or Liberals, should
be getting, but are not.
Maybe we need to go back in time when purge meant to throw up, decontaminate
and purify . . . when a person was becoming ill. Our Democratic
Party is a long way past just being ill . . .
Political
Human Sacrifice by David Podvin (makethemaccountable.com)
Let the purge begin and as Podvin states . . . and, I too agree now
that Daschle, one of Bush's best bipartisan leaders, is gone . . .
I can't think of a better name to start with than our very own Lieberman
from Connecticut. If our representatives in Congress are not earning
their fat salaries by not listening to their base, then . . . good
bye and the very best to ya!
I can already imagine how great all of that purging will feel .
. .
Thanks BuzzFlash,
Shirley Smith
Subject: checkout
Interesting quote (click on link and scroll down for picture of
Bush):
"It's amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity
and
incumbency." -- George W. Bush, June 14, 2001, speaking to
Swedish Prime Minister Goran Perrson, unaware that a live television
camera was still rolling
J. B.
Subject: Howdy Doody Rides Again!
George W. Bush IS Howdy Doody. Think about it. He has a wooden head
with no brains, heart or soul. He likes to think he is the rootinest,
tootinest, shootinest cowboy West of the Pecos. He has an evil Buffalo
Bob manipulating him. He never grew out of a 1950s mind-set that
no longer applies to a complex world.
And have you ever seen Howdy and W together at the same time?
Mike Kilroy
Aliso Viejo, CA
Subject: Ohio Vote - Your article of 11/29
You people need to get a life!
All falsehoods, wishful theories, and rumors in you article of 11/29!
Absolutely no proof! You should be ashamed of yourselves!
Instead of hanging on to your dreams and lies depicted in your article
and the ridiculous charges of "9/11 - Michael Moore,"
perhaps you should focus on trying to get a non-radical democrat
candidate for the next election who will appeal to the majority
of reasonable Americans. But I have confidence in you.... You won't!
You'll just keep blowing out this BS!
I'm sure you think Oswald was not the killer of JFK either. Hey!
I have an idea! bring your Ohio vote theories to Oliver Stone. I
hear he's getting desperate in his search of another outlandish
story!
Get a Life Man!
A life long Democrat.
W.G. "Bill" West
Subject: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (as sent to Michael Moore)
Dear Mr. Moore,
I saw you on Jay Leno last night and if I didn't see for myself
how you sold out, I wouldn't have believed it.
I would say that I was watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers,
but I could tell it was your body, so all I can think of is that
this must be a case of Invasion of the Mind Snatchers. Either Karl
Rove and his team kidnapped you and brainwashed your mind, or aliens
have come down and taken over your brain, or possibly you or your
family were threatened with bodily harm by someone (maybe that's
what happened to John Kerry).
Why did you sell out?!? Wasn't it you who wrote a letter telling
us democrats not to worry ~ and now you go on Jay Leno and say the
democrats blew it. EXCUSE ME -- isn't that what people were saying
to you before the election -- and you told us NOT TO WORRY?!?!!!
You told Jay Leno that Bush won because he said he could make us
safer and there have been no attacks here since he's been president.
EXCUSE ME?!?
He's responsible for 9/11 in the first place. You say that Bush
won because he got more votes. EXCUSE ME?!? Didn't you have posted
on your website just a couple weeks ago about the election fraud???
What happened between now and then. Did the republicans steal your
math skills???
THANKS FOR SELLING OUT!!! Either the world is coming to end soon
-- or worse - YOU QUIT CARING!
Signed:
Not a fan anymore,
Judy
Subject: on ohio, red states, thom
hartman and so much more
Dear Buzz,
Five minutes with BuzzFlash can teach
me more than two hours of non-stop cable news.
Besides the links you offer to the best of the mainstream news,
I want to thank you for all the hard work you do tracking down stories
that really tell us something. Katrina vanden Heuvel of the Nation's
blog entry on the Ukraine contained more information on the situation
then anything Judy, Wolf or Aaron could ever tell me. BuzzFlash
reader Anne Pfieffer makes a strong argument for a revote in Ohio
with her BuzzFlash reader contribution. A blog on the red states
offers me the first real look at the region anywhere.
With all the chatter on TV and all
the "values" nonsense, you'd think someone would have
told me some of the basic facts about the problems with our party
infrastructure in the south and reading about 71 year old Eli really
broke my heart. And I can't forget the the strong reviews Thom Hartman
provides on books and DVDs?
BuzzFlash always provides me with the strongest real news stories
the other media is talking about but in addition, it gives me the
information I need to know that no one else is talking about.
Thank you, BuzzFlash. I don't think I could face the next four years
without knowing you were there.
Sincerely,
Elaine
Subject:
Election Recount?
Why haven't we heard more
about the election recount and the investigation into Voter Fraud?
It's like a huge hush has fallen over the land, and everyone seems
satisfied with the status quo. What are the legal possibilities
of getting Bush out of our White House? I want to know if all these
letters I'm writing are doing any good.
If the European Union is so concerned
with the Ukraine having a fair election, and wanting them to have
another election, where are they and why don't they want us to have
one??
Thanks,
Carol Lowe
Mesa, AZ
[BuzzFlash Note: Is it defeatism, or apathy, or simple reluctance
to think the unthinkable? But some talk about U.S. vote fraud
is now creeping into The New York Times, Newsweek, and elsewhere...Jesse
Jackson and John
Kerry seem to be coming forward...maybe more signs of life for
this issue?]
Subject: Red and blue states
How did the concept of our country being divided up into RED/BLUE
states get going and when?
Sounds more like two football teams.
I was born here, as was my Father. Always thought of our country
as the good old UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
No more, now we are the BLUE STATES and the RED STATES.
WHOSE CONCEPT OF THIS DIVIDED US? Surely not the pollsters, they've
been taking polls for years and never divided the country into sections
of color...
Is this Rove? The NRC? The DNC? or DLC? Whoever started it ought
to be stopped in his/her tracks.
We need to go back to our UNITED STATES, and think more in terms
of right and wrong...instead of left and right, red and/or blue.
We are getting lost at every turn.
Donna Balkan
Subject: Why Bush Lost the Battle
of Ohio?
Quoting from the Establishment Bible, The New York Times:
"... in heavily democratic
areas of Ohio registrations have risen 250% percent over the same
period in 2000. In comparison, new registrations, have just increased
25% in heavily Republican areas..."
This is the same New York Times that
is now ridiculing as "paranoid conspiracy theorists" anyone
who has the temerity to question the validity of the election results
in Ohio. In 2000, after reasonable reallocation of third party candidates
Nader and Buchanan (neither are on the ballot this year), we find
that Bush had a partisan advantage of approximately 100,000 votes.
What happened between 2000 and 2004? 803,000 thousand Ohioans were
added to voters rolls. Given what we are told by the Times investigation,
it is eminently reasonable to assume that Kerry trumped Bush among
new registrants by a wide margin. Since voters are not required
to register under a party label, one has to make an educated guess.
600 thousand new registrants for Kerry, 200,000 for Bush? If these
newly enrolled voters match the Ohio statewide turnout (68%), Kerry
picks up 408,000 votes, Bush just 136,000. A 100 thousand vote Bush
plurality suddenly turns into a 172,000 vote Kerry edge.
How to explain a Bush victory of 136,000
(51%-49)? The White House Spin Doctors claimed that in southern
Ohio, crazed homophobic farmers stormed the polls to outlaw gay
marriage. If so, why does their pace of new voter registration trail
their fellow big city Ohioans by a 10-1 margin? Doesn't sound like
there is any Midwestern prairie fire brewing in rural Ohio.
ABC News released a poll two weeks
before the election. The horse race number, Kerry 50-47%. More importantly,
just 4% of Ohioans polled listed gay marriage as the most important
issue in the presidential race. If my projection of a Kerry victory
of 172,000 votes is correct, that translates into a result of Kerry
51.3%, Bush 48.2%, Others 0.5%. The Edison Exit Poll placed Kerry
ahead of Bush 52%-48%. Harris Interactive's Final Ohio Poll: Kerry
50%, Bush 47%. Bush lost the Battle of Ohio. The New York Times
validates my "Conspiracy Theory."
Brad F.
Subject: Power outages in Ohio during
voting
"At another precinct, voters
came out and told us that the power had gone out -- so they had
no idea if the touch-screen machine had even registered their vote.
When we called in a report, we were told that there were power outages
all over the city."
Hey Buzz,
I am copying a letter I read in today's
Burlington
Free Press
because it's the first time
I've seen power outages mentioned as one of the reasons voters in
Ohio were impeded from voting. I wonder if power failures occurred
in any other Ohio counties or in Florida during the election. Any
way anyone could check? Here's the letter:
After serving as Election Protection
volunteers in inner-city Columbus, Ohio, we have grave doubts
about the legitimacy of the election. Poll workers there told
us that they were allocated fewer voting machines than they had
been given for the primaries, resulting in waits of three, four,
five, and even more hours to vote.
We also saw voters who waited hours at the wrong polling place
because they had been confused by recent redistricting. At another
precinct, voters came out and told us that the power had gone
out -- so they had no idea if the touch-screen machine had even
registered their vote. When we called in a report, we were told
that there were power outages all over the city.
We were deeply inspired by the courage and determination of the
many people who voted despite long lines and hardships. However,
we saw several people who had to leave to go to work, or to care
for children -- and we have no way of estimating how many people
simply stayed away altogether after hearing about the long lines.
Based on what we saw, we believe that there was a coordinated
effort to suppress the pro-Democratic minority vote, and subsequent
reports of voting machine anomalies have made us wonder if those
who did vote were really counted. There are efforts afoot to demand
investigations and recounts, and we strongly urge Vermonters to
support these efforts -- not because they will change the outcome
of this election, but because without fair elections, our democracy
cannot survive.
Andrew Allen & Betsy Pennebaker
Burlington, VT
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Divide and Conquer
I’ve had time to look at some progressive websites that contain
commentary from readers.
Quite a few commentators are very angry at the democrats and how
they handled Bush’s questionable win. Nearly every website had quite
a few disgruntled commentators who claim they will never donate
to or work for a democrat again. Some said the democrats who are
kissing republican butts should join the republican party, etc.
I also read the 11/30 mailbag and found a few negative remarks about
the democrats.
After reading comments like these, I was sure that the Bush cronies
had succeeded in an area we never thought about: Divide and Conquer.
Aww, you know that Rove, how he pits one side against the other,
then walks away without leaving fingerprints? If the results of
the Nov. Election can turn so many democrats against democratic
candidates, haven’t the
republicans done the slam dunk of the new century? Divide the democrats
and it will be clear sailing for the republicans for years to come
folks. Regroup and fight for change if you care.
Cathy
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